Improved bueglar-trap



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Letters Patent No. 77,582, dated May 5, 186.8.

IMPROVED BURGLAR TRAP,

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CARR, of Yellow Springs, Greene county, and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Burglar-Trap; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

This invention relates to a trap which is to be located in a cellar or basement under a store or ofiice, and the apparatus is provided with doors, which are on a level with the floor of the store, the doors being arranged in such-a manner as to open, the instant the burglar steps on them', and deposit him in the trap.

The apparatus is so arranged that the burglar rests upon-a false bottom, which isconnected to the trap doors with rods or chains, by which means the weight of the occupant serves to keep thedqors closed, and thus prevents his escape.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical section, partially in perspective, of a burglar-trap embodying my improvement Figure 2 is a transverse section, taken through theppper part of the trap. Figure 3 represents a modification of the device, for operating the trap-doors. The principal part otthe trap consists of a chamber, A, which is placed beneath the ground-floor of a store,

800.; and this chamber is divided in three parts by means of the vertical partitions B B, the central part, A, of the chamber being for the retention of the burglar, while the other two, a a, 'containthe devices for operating the doors. i

Hinged, at b b, to the upper ends of the partitions B B are the trap-doors C G, which are on a level with the floor of the store; and these doors are operated by the following devices:

Placed athwart the two side-chambers we are rock-shafts D D, having attached to them inclined planes,

E E and arms F F, the latter being connected to the trapdoors by the eordsff' G G and e e are cords or other flexible connection, which are attached respectively to the arms F F and: inclined planes E E and these cords communicate with the outside ,of the trap, for purposes which will'be hereafter described. a

The under sides of the doors 0 C have attached tothem catches H H, which engage under other catch-es, I I, that are secured to the sides of the chambers a a; and said catches I I are maintained in their effective 5 position by means of springs J J.

K is a platform, which is suspended from the trap-doors C C by the-rods L L, by which arrangement any weight thrown upon the platform will close them 7 M is a door, fastened on the outside of the step, and which, when opened, will'permit the liberation of the captive. 4 I

The trap is set in the following manner The cords c c are first pulled fromthe outside ofthe trap, in such a manner as to cause a partial rotation of the rock-shaft D D, by which means the inclined planes E E disengage the catches I I from the ones H II,

which 'leaves'the trap-doors free to turn on their bearings as soonas a person treads upon' them.

Shonld'a burglar now enter a room in which the trap is located, and step upon either or both of the doors C 0, they willinstantly open, and deposit him. upon the platform K, which will be depressed a suilicient distance to close said doors.

When these doors are thus opened, the cordsff cause the rock-shafts D D to rotate in such a manner as to elevate thearms F F, and depress the inclined planes E E, by which means the catches H H and I I are in the proper condition to engage with each other.

As soon as the descent of the platform K has caused theclosing of the trap-doors, the catches H H and I I engage with one another, and thereby securely lock said doors, so as to prevent them bein'g ppencd by any person who may be in the chamber A.

It will be seen that the catches H II and I I act, in connection with the weight of tlrc pcrson upon the 

